Theo Huff | 2016 Chicago Blues Festival Preview

By TOM BOWSER

Theo Huff performed at Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago as part of a series of FREE Chicago Blues Festival preview events. The Blues Festival preview events are a nice way to get a taste of some of Chicago's talented Blues bands, and performers prior to the start of the Chicago Blues Festival. The events are generally held in smaller venues in the city of Chicago. Preview events have a laid-back, family reunion feel to them. My wife and I enjoy going to the Blues Festival preview events every year. Click on any small image below to see a larger version.


Theo Huff grew up on the west side of Chicago. He is a singer, bandleader and occasionally works with Chicago's Black Ensemble Theater. Theo is good at connecting with his audience. He gets audience members involved during his performances by having people come up on stage or through playful banter during his strolls through the audience area. Theo is fun to watch, and he does a great job making everyone feel welcome. Theo and his talented band have a sound, look, and feel unique to Chicago! Buy Theo Huff's album The New Beginning from Amazon.com.



Listen to Theo Huff singing "Soul Swing".

Toronzo Cannon | 2016 Chicago Blues Festival Preview

By TOM BOWSER

Toronzo Cannon performed in the Chicago Cultural Center as part of a series of FREE Chicago Blues Festival Preview Events.

I'm not originally from Chicago, but moved here with my wife a few years ago. I had never heard of nor seen Toronzo Cannon perform prior to this concert. It was a great show! The band was tight, professional and well rehearsed. Toronzo is not only a good guitar player, but a good performer who knows how to engage with his audience while he performs. For me a live show has to bring more than just a band playing music. I can put on a pair of headphones and listen to music at home if all I want to do is to listen to music. Toronzo Cannon and his band "bring it" with style.



Toronzo Cannon grew up in Chicago. The Chicago style and sound of blues undoubtedly flows through his veins. However, I detect the influence of two great non-Chicago guitarists on Toronzo's guitar playing, For example, the tone of Toronzo's guitar and amp combination at this show were clearly influenced by the late, massively talented guitarist from the great state of Texas, Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Guitar enthusiasts will also note that Toronzo Cannon is left handed. The monumental Jimi Hendrix was also a left handed guitar player and you occasionally hear a bit of Jimi's influence on Toronzo's playing. The day of this show Toronzo played a white Fender Stratocaster intended for a right handed guitar player as did Jimi Hendrix on occasion. Like Jimi Hendrix, Toronzo had the guitar inverted, with the headstock facing to his right. The headstock is the section at the end of the guitar's neck where the tuning machines are installed. When a guitar designed for a right handed guitar player is normally held the guitar's headstock would point to the guitarists left hand side.



Toward the end of the show Toronzo played a 2-part medley that combined a Jimi Hendrix song with the Muddy Waters song Hoochie Coochie Man. At one pont in the show, Toronzo played a short guitar solo with his teeth, like Jimi Hendrix did during some of his shows. Toronzo's band was all about good music and fun.

My wife and I both noticed the diversity of people at the show. Black, white, brown, Asian, young and old from teenagers to people in their 70's and even 80's. Dancing, grooving, swaying to the rhythm of the blues. Blues music talks about life. It tells stories that we can all relate to in one way or another.

I'm NOT a writer, critic or photographer. Though I've worked professionally in the production side of music I am a music fan first and foremost. I only write about performers that I think are worth seeing from the perspective of an audience member. See Toronzo Cannon and his band. You will enjoy the show! Toronzo is currently now signed with Chicago based Alligator records.

My wife and I also attended the FREE Chicago Blues Festival preview event "Speakin’ of the Blues: Celebrating the 45th Anniversary of Alligator Records with Bruce Iglauer and Lil’ Ed". Bruce Iglauer is the founder of Chicago's Alligator Records. Lil' Ed is the front man and guitarist for Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials. Lil' Ed appeared without The Blues Imperials and played a few solo songs using slide guitar. Great stuff! I now consider myself a "Little Ed Head". I'll write more about this event at a later time.

Toronzo Cannon will also be performing at this years Chicago Blues Festival (2016). The Chicago Blues Festival is presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). The Chicago Blues Festival is currently the largest FREE blues festival in the world. The 2016 Chicago Blues Festival is June 10 to the 12th.

The Band:

• Toronzo Cannon: guitar
• Melvin "pookie styx" Carlisle: drums
• Dave Forte "white chocolate": bass guitar
• Luca Chiellini (direct from Italy): keyboards

Purchase Toronzo Cannon's latest CD entitled "The Chicago Way".

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Corky Siegel | Blues | Chamber Monday Series

By TOM BOWSER

Corky Siegel performed as part of the Chamber Monday concert series. Chamber Monday concerts are presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Chamber Monday concerts are free of charge. They are held at 12:15 pm in the stunningly beautiful Preston Bradley Hall of the Chicago Cultural Center.

The Corky Siegel show was fantastic! Corky is an amazing entertainer as well as a talented musician. He is funny, charismatic, and can still blow the roof off any venue he plays his harmonica. He had the entire audience captivated from the moment he began his show. Every note he played on his harmonica oozed the blues with an intensity that I've rarely seen before. At over 70 years old he plays the blues as well as anyone alive. My wife and I had a great time. You won't be disappointed if you attend a Corky Siegel show!

Who is Corky Siegel?

Do you like listening to pop, rock, country music or heavy metal? Corky Siegel along with other Chicago Blues music legends like him helped to shape modern music as we know it today. What? Really? Corky began playing harmonica and blues music in the Chicago blues music scene during the 1960s. His playing and performance style is heavily influenced by Chicago area blues legends of the time including Muddy Waters, Charlie Musselwhite, Howlin' Wolf,, Buddy Guy, Eddie Boyd, Luther Allison, Junior Wells, James Cotton, Willie Dixon, Bo Diddley and many more.

One of Corky's early gigs was playing with guitarist Jim Schwall at a blues bar called Pepper's on the south side of Chicago. Blues greats like Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf and others would occasionally sit in and play with them during their shows at Pepper's. Corky and Jim would eventually form the blues-rock styled Siegel-Schwall Band. The fusion of blues and rock music became influential in the music of many American musicians and bands. Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and many others were all heavily influenced by American blues music.

Bands coming to America from England during the 1960s through the 1970s were heavily influenced by American blues music coming out of Chicago at the time. British bands, including The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple infused American blues music into their sound. Listen to the guitar playing of David Gilmour of the band Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones or Tony Iommi of Black Sabbbath, and you hear the influence of American blues on their style and sound.

Author Paul Merry has an interesting 2 part series of books that discuss the evolution of American blues music and it's influence on the the blues rock bands of both America and the UK. Read How Blues Evolved Volume One and How Blues Evolved Volume Two. These books are available as Kindle Edition ebooks. I believe they may also be available in a larger format paperback. Lots of cool, rare photos, interesting facts and information. Visit Paul's Blog to read interesting articles he's written about music.

Corky Siegel - Now and the Future

Corky Siegel keeps himself very busy. Corky performs as a soloist and as a member of the Siegel-Schwall Band. He has played as a soloist with internationally acclaimed symphony orchestras to include the New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestras. He is a composer and a teacher working with musicians at all levels to improve their understanding of music and their ability to create and perform it. Corky's project "Chamber Blues" is particularly interesting to me. He blends classical chamber music with his brand of American, Chicago-styled blues music. What will Corky Siegal do next?? Visit Corky Music to learn more!

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The 2016 Chicago Blues Festival is June 10 to 12. The 2016 Chicago Jazz Festival is September 1 through 4. My wife and I will be attending both festivals again this year. We will also be attending some of the preview events leading up to both festivals. I'll be posting pictures of some of the bands and musicians who perform.